It’s called compromise

June 23, 2010

The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement was one of those political creatures entirely beloved by hardly anyone – a little ungainly, something that gave a little here to get a little there. It’s what’s known among pragmatic people as a compromise.

The question came up this week, in effect, at the Klamath Falls City Council: Do we endorse a compromise or insist on our way/highway? The upshot of the latter, of course, would be more fighting of the sort that’s kept the area in uproar over water issues for a decade and more.

It was a seriously considered question, though. The council was working on the city budget, and the proposed budget had in it $22,100 which would go to three economic development groups. Those groups had been in support of the agreement.

News reports noted that “Council member Bill Adams voted against the budget, saying if he is going to support somebody, he wants them to have the same views he has.”

He was outvoted. But therein lies a glimpse of why the Klamath has been in such a mess for so long.